CaveGirl
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Posts posted by CaveGirl
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19 hours ago, Swithin said:
Also Ms. Lane singing "I'm Just Wild About Harry;" and "Melancholy Baby." And most touching of all, Gladys George singing "A Shanty in Old Shantytown." Great movie -- to call it a gangster movie is to diminish it. It's one of the great epics of its period.
And with one of the iconic final scenes:
Whenever I see this scene, I always think how cool it would be to integrate Sergei Eisenstein's, Odessa Steps sequence from the "Battleship Potemkin" into the shots. Imagine if the baby carriage came tumbling down and knocked Cagney over and saved him from being shot. Just a thought...
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On 5/29/2018 at 2:45 AM, CinemaInternational said:
And Alec Guinness as one of his many characters in Kind Hearts and Coronets.
Also Divine in many John Waters films, right up through Hairspray in 1988. (John Travolta played the female role in the 2007 remake),
Divine, was so wonderful as a bargain basement Liz Taylor! On the other hand, Travolta was just embarrassing in that role. The original film is the one to watch...
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On 5/25/2018 at 8:09 AM, Sepiatone said:
I recently mentioned seeing( for the first time) THE BELLES OF ST. TRINIAN'S in which ALISTAIR SIM played the headmistress of the all girl's school. Loved that performance!
Sepiatone
I was watching that recently too, Sepia and he did a fine job, did he not!
I still say though that Sim looks a lot like Eddie Muller. -
On 5/24/2018 at 5:25 PM, EricJ said:
Getting into less socially progressive/loaded choices, there's the dread pirate Glenn Close from Hook (1991):
Yikes, she looks like Brian Aherne!
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Fascinating topic!
There probably are a lot of offensive blackface scenes in films, but for the most frightening, it has to be Joan Crawford in "Torch Song"!
Good thing that her paramour in the film, Michael Wilding was supposed to be blind, as the sight of her blackface make-up against dyed red hair and those giant caterpillar eyebrows, could give anyone glaucoma!
sistercelluloid.com/2014/07/13/torch-song-joan-crawford-in-blackface-and-thats-not-all/-
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5 hours ago, LornaHansonForbes said:
ps- sorry for making it "all about me" just thought MAYBE it'd add some perspective.
I totally enjoyed your "all about me" confessional! Would you hate me for saying that I actually paid money once to see Sam Kinison in concert?
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On 5/26/2018 at 2:07 PM, jimmymac71 said:
According to the script, it is Sydney.
http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/Maltese_Falcon.pdf
Page 142 in the script or page 147 in the PDF.
That's nice, but I don't think it is.
Maybe it was in the script to use Sydney, but it surely does not sound like him.
I would guess it was also in the script for "Giant" that lines for Jett Rink would be done by James Dean, but after his untimely death, it was Dennis Hopper as I recall who actually had to do some of the lines for the film in the banquet scene.
Sydney has a very memorable voice and accent, which does not sound at all like the voice used in the film.
But thanks for your research, which I still appreciate. -
Absolutely wonderful cinematographer!
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3 hours ago, NipkowDisc said:
I always assumed it was Greenstreet.
Now you know what they say when one assumes, Nip!
But you need to relisten now and really put on your thinking cap, and see if it really sounds like old Sydney.
Thanks for your thoughts though! -
16 hours ago, speedracer5 said:
For me, one of the worst performances I have ever seen is Lee J. Cobb in Golden Boy. He was so bad and so absurd in that role, he single handedly ruined the film--though I'm much of a fan of the film in general. It perhaps could have been a little better had they actually cast an actor old enough to be William Holden's father.
Since that film, I always cringe whenever I see Lee J. Cobb's name in the credits. Right now, I think his appearance in 12 Angry Men is the only time that he didn't annoy the crap out of me.
At the other end of the spectrum... Beyonce was absolutely horrid in Austin Powers 3. Yes, Austin Powers 3 is definitely not the height of cinema, but it could have been thismuch better had Beyonce not been there. She's a terrible actress (and singer and dancer for that matter).
Just curious, did you not like Cobb in "On the Waterfront"?
Love your Beyonce dig! -
21 hours ago, Fedya said:
Worse than John Lund?
Hey, watch it. I love John Lund. He's like a Swedish cupcake. All pretty and who cares if the taste inside is not exactly up to par with a Hostess cupcake. So cute, with those pretty blue eyes and nice blonde hair and lovely physique. Eye candy is always welcome in films, especially if it is of the male variety as there are so few worth looking at sometimes. But I still appreciate your submission, Fedya!
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2 hours ago, darkblue said:
Marlon Brando in 'Desiree'.
Did he hate being in that movie or did he hate being in that movie?
Thanks, DarkBlue...excellent choice!
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22 hours ago, Dargo said:
I've said for years one of the worst actors I've seen in so-called Golden Age major studio "A" productions was James Craig here, aka, "the poor man's Clark Gable". And in fact, L.B. Mayer pretty much solely hired him because of his resemblance to the then off to war Gable.
(...almost every time he opens his mouth I've felt like he's reading his lines off some strategically placed cue card for the very first time while the cameras were rolling...some of the worst and least believable use of vocal inflection I've ever seen and heard, especially)
He's a hunk, Dargo!
Only men are listening to him speak in films...-
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I agree with you, GGG! It used to be horrid with faded tones, skin colors seeping into other areas like the collar or hair, and just in general, looked crappy.
But now it is so advanced and looks so real, that I see no reason for it not to be utilized. I do like there to be both versions when I buy something on dvd though. I guess we could get into the validity of changing the original vision of the director or producer, but as long as both versions are still extant, it doesn't seem to be a horrible transgression.
Personally I like black and white films, and think many would look horrid in color but it still doesn't bother me if someone wants to try. It's not like they decided to paint the statue of David in Florence, Italy with bright day-glo colors or anything.-
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8 minutes ago, lydecker said:
I figure Ben probably opted out of doing the "Wine Club Shilling" when he signed his last contract. I hear ya about Francis Ford Coppola but he probably has too much class to stoop to selling stuff like "Dean Martin Wine" on TCM.
I feel for Eddie Muller (who clearly is a smart, talented guy) being stuck doing the ads but at least he doesn't seem as uncomfortable doing them as Ben did. I love how the new promotional approach is that "Wine is OK for Regular People" (Wow, you can even have popcorn with your wine!) as though the reason folks don't join the Wine Club is because they were turned off by the promos done with the "wine experts." I don't think so! People don't join the Wine Club because they think it's a stupid promotional ploy which has nothing to do with classic movies.
Gee, I would bet Eddie Muller is happy to be doing the ads for some more moola. His writing as an author is not very memorable or of the calibre of a Chandler or Hammett, so I think it is great of TCM to give him a job to bring money in, since pulp fiction isn't what it used to be. And being a shill with all that faux noir stuff like fedoras and cuff links on his Noir Internet sites must get tiring, so he probably needs to imbibe occasionally.
I never got the feeling that any of the "wine experts" were very "expert" so using the spiel, "Wine is fine for regular folks" seems to hit just the right mark, albeit low. Too bad George Sanders is not still alive, since he would be the wine connoisseur extolling its virtues, that I would really enjoy seeing on TCM, but alas, Muller is no Sanders! But I do admire TCM for giving him a job, so kudos to them.-
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6 minutes ago, TopBilled said:
I'd probably mention Spike Lee and Sydney Pollack. I think they both rate as actors, even though they are more known for directing.
Then there's Woody Allen who did both jobs all the time (as well as writing and producing). Though I wonder if he acted out of necessity, to keep his films from going over budget.
Sydney Pollack was one I was going to mention originally. Great as an actor, though that may have come first AND as a director. I still remember his fine acting in that I think "AHP" episode as the camp counselor with the kid who made a sculpture of his dad, with one arm. Really moving tale and Pollack was great in it. Thanks, TB!
Episode was called "The Contest for Aaron Gold" and Barry Gordon played the kid.-
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His acting is very impressive, even if he is just giving Bogie spare change!
Huston in "Chinatown" was so viscerally moving that he kind of gave me chills, especially when he was trying to take his daughter/granddaughter, Catherine away from Mrs. Mulray [aka Faye Dunaway].
Yikes, he was scary! Having read a book on his participation in a group of people who some thought might have had something to do with Beth Short's death, as the Black Dahlia, didn't help in assuaging me of the fear of Huston.
I would approach him with trepidation, after seeing "Chinatown" for sure. Great choice, James!-
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I'm assuming the connecting link here is Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher?
If not, I apologize. -
After my recent dismissal of the acting of Ali MacGraw, I feel the time has come to praise all good actors, even if they are directors.
Normally I would not expect much from a director, as an actor being that they might just be in a cameo like Hitch, but there are some who really do a fine job as thespians.
Perhaps for some, acting was a bit in their early formative years, and I think Roman Polanski is an amazing director but also a really fine actor too. He was quite engaging in "Chinatown" with his verbal jousting with Nicholson, and had great moves with that switchblade but another film impressed me more which was "The Tenant" in which he did an excellent job of portraying paranoia and other emotions. The scenes with the tooth in the wall, still haunt me as does possibly his bit in drag, but I digress.Any directors who you feel could have a full-time career as an actor, because they are just that good?
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1 minute ago, jamesjazzguitar said:
Bonita did look the part but the main reason she got the gig is that she was one of the more experienced teen actors, having been in over 15 films already, and these being low budget pictures with a short production duration producer Brian Foy and director William Clemens didn't have the time or patience to deal with an inexperienced teen.
It can't be overlooked that Granville was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 1936 (the first year for this category) for These Three at the age of 13! (hey, that is a film George could have played in if it was true to the play). Yea, I'm smitten by Bonita.
I always liked Bonita and thought she was top drawer in anything, even silly Nancy Drew mysteries. Her performance in "These Three" was rivetting and that film was so much more true to the original story unlike the boring Hepburn-MacLaine one. Bonita was also a very attractive girl and definitely brought Nancy Drew to life!
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Lydecker, do you think they drink before shooting all the wine club ads?
It might add some spice also to have instead of Eddie Muller, perhaps some of the wine producers like Francis Ford Coppola, which would enhance the ads appeal.
I'm waiting for the Christopher Walken Sauvignon Blanc to be produced and sold at TCM. They should also include a cow bell with any purchase, with the TCM insignia on it. It would be a great embellishment to snacks consumed while watching "The Deer Hunter" doncha think? -
5 hours ago, jakeem said:
Cartwright's all-time greatest moment as a scream queen was at the end of Philip Kaufman’s 1978 version of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers."
Though the original Don Siegel version is my favorite, I did totally appreciate the later version and plus, it had the plum Kevin McCarthy bit, which made it so special, like he'd been wandering around the highway for years warning people about the seed pods! To this day, when I see a panelled truck late at night, I think..."Seed Pods! Yikes!"
That Veronica is scary when she is scared! -
13 minutes ago, LawrenceA said:
I think I've already discussed this issue at length in the FilmStruck thread or maybe elsewhere, but here goes again. At the moment the two aren't really comparable. TCM is showing a much wider variety of classic films than FilmStruck offers at any given time. FilmStruck stands out, though, for the amount of foreign films and arthouse films that they offer, thanks to being partnered with Criterion/Janus.
So if you want more foreign and arthouse movies, FilmStruck is your better bet. But if you want a larger variety of classic American films, TCM still has them beat. Or you could do what I do and have them both.
How far back do the foreign and art house films go on FilmStruck, Lawrence?
You know I don't watch any films made ideally after about 1970... -
6 minutes ago, LornaHansonForbes said:
I HAD FORGOTTEN ALL ABOUT GEORGE!
(the Peppermint Patty before there was a Peppermint Patty)
You called that one, Lorna!
Nowadays they would have Rosie O'Donnell play her in the films.
Movie Mysteries
in General Discussions
Posted
Yeah, sorry...I just got up, and am still groggy [don't ask!] and those guys always remind me of each other, but you are right. It was Nick who did the bits after filming had ended, since Dean was dead and had mumbled his way through the scene as I recall.
Thanks for the correction!